Ranker

Anime Underground

Button Mash

Graveyard Shift

Total Nerd

Unspeakable Times

Weird History

Weird Nature

Weirdly Interesting

Sports

Music

Entertainment

Living

Culture

Food

Makeup

Halloween

Thanksgiving

Holidays

Watchworthy

HBO Max

Athletes from all over the world compete in the XXIII Olympic Games from Feb. 9 to Feb. 25, 2018, in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Olympics

Olympians are an interesting breed. They strive against life and limb to compete, to prove themselves, to represent their country and to be the best in the world at something. Here are thirteen incredible stories about Olympians doing everything they can to win, to finish or to even compete. From a man with gall stones who ran two miles to get to the stadium, won a race, then was rushed to the hospital, to a woman who overcame paralysis, to a man who stopped rowing mid-race for a family of ducks and still won -- these are the thirteen wildest stories about Olympic athletes, and what they'll do for a chance at the gold.

There are many strange and fascinating facts buried in the long, <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/rio-olympics-horror-stories/jacob-shelton?var=2&amp;utm_expid=16418821-231.pO7IiG9BRyyg5tM_TumNKg.1&amp;utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ranker.com%2Fapp%2Fsearch.htm%3Fq%3Drio%2Bolympics">bizarre history of the Olympics</a>. The Summer Olympics of 2016&nbsp;look almost nothing like those from a century ago, and it’s not just the slick presentation and technological advancements in the individual events. Everything about the Summer and Winter Olympics used to be a whole lot weirder and, well, pretty&nbsp;backwards.&nbsp;In many ways, the games have acted as a microcosm of what was happening in the world at the time, for better or for worse.Just how old are the Olympics? That depends if you’re referring to the ancient or modern games: the ancient games were held from the 8th century BCE to the 4th century CE, while the modern games were born in 1896. Both eras feature tons of examples of almost superhuman athleticism, but also a whole lot of sexism, racism, nudity, incompetence, drug abuse, waste, and wackiness.&nbsp;So who created the Olympics? What about those Olympic rings? Read on to learn some things you probably don’t know about the history of the Olympic games.

Winter Sports

There have been a number of cool sports featured at Winter Olympics past that won't be played at the 2018 Winter Olympics in&nbsp;PyeongChang in 2018. One of the best&nbsp;is ski ballet. Maybe you would support its return?Vote up the bygone Winter Sports - all of which were only featured as demonstration sports - that you would like to see included in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, and we'll see what the Olympic Committee has to say about it. After you are finished voting on sports of the Winter Olympics' past, go ahead and check out this list of countries with <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/countries-with-olympic-medals-in-alpine-skiing/reference" target="_blank">Olympic medals in Alpine skiing</a>.

Hosting the Olympics almost always backfires. It sounds glamorous, but in reality, it's anything but. Cities build massive arenas and hotels just to accommodate the events and athletes&nbsp;and then have virtually nothing to use them for after the games hit the road.&nbsp;As a result, the world is positively littered with abandoned Olympics venues. From Sarajevo to Athens, most places just can't handle the Olympics.Start to finish, host cities run inevitably run into problem after problem. One of the biggest problems is almost always infrastructure. Hosting the Olympics requires several venues and arenas, pretty much all of which need to be new or at least newly renovated.Of course, after the Olympics are over, there's really no more need for said venues. Some continue to get used for various purposes, but many inevitably fall into a state of disrepair. The specialty sites, in particular,&nbsp;the ones built for things like bobsledding and other less popular sports, are usually the first to go. In the end, the upkeep on old Olympic sites just hasn't been worth it for most past host cities. There are ghost sites from previous Olympics all over the world. Here are some of the creepiest.

poll

Chariots of Fire

The Olympics are a source of inspiration, unity, and hope across the globe. Every country is proud to send its best athletes to the games to display their talents to the entire world. It’s no wonder that so many movies have centered on the Olympics, as these are some of the most inspirational stories of all time. But what are the best movies about the Olympics? Vote up the best Olympic films below and see where your favorites rank! &nbsp; The movies on this list have been ranked as the absolute best films on the subject of the Olympics. Many of these films highlight an individual athlete’s life story and the journey that lead them to becoming the absolute best in their event. Others focus on the failed attempts of prospective Olympians. But no matter the narrative, each of these films offers an inspiring look at the Olympic Games and the Olympians who make them so special. &nbsp; This list features the best movies about the Olympics including, Chariots of Fire, Cool Runnings, One Day in September, Munich, Miracle, Without Limits, and The Cutting Edge. Vote up the best films below or add a movie with an Olympic story that isn't already on the list.

Funny

As a former collegiate softball player, I was one of many saddened to see the sport excised from the Olympics in recent years. This, however, is not a <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-fictional-sports-coaches/ranker-entertainment?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">list of sports</a> we would really want to see on broadcast TV... as part of the Olympics, anyway. These are the dream competitions; the events Joe Anybody could set a world record in. The events with potential to thrust (or hoist) an overweight man from the middle of Saskatchewan onto the Olympic victors' stand, where he can be decorated in a way befitting of someone who just told that kid on a fixie to get a haircut (and a life). What event would you add to the Olympics? Would you be a medalist in changing diapers without throwing up? How about a champion in swearing? There are so many things the world should give medals for but doesn't, and this is a chance to right that wrong. On the Internet. With some people you've never met before who may have an unnatural ability to watch TV for 72 straight hours. Seriously: this is the only marathon many people in America could ever even dream of winning.&nbsp;&nbsp;Winter, Summer, indoor, outdoor; if you think there's an event you could OWN (if only it were in the Olympics), make sure to add it to this list of events that should totally be in the Olympics.&nbsp;

Every few years, the world comes together to celebrate its strongest, toughest, and most athletic stars. Nothing makes us prouder than watching our sports heroes step onto the podium while the national anthem plays - especially because elite athletes tend to be pretty easy on the eyes. But which Olympic events have the hottest stars? This list of hot Olympians broken down by sport will finally answer that question. In fact, it is your duty as a citizen to give <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/olympic-gold-medal-winners/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">a gold medal</a> to the sport with the most attractive athletes. Vote up the Olympic sports and events with the hottest athletes.Take a moment to&nbsp;truly appreciate the sexy side of sports, as long as you also remember that these world class Olympians worked incredibly hard to get where they are in the competition. All of their dedication has brought them to the world stage to proudly represent their nations and themselves. It sure is a pleasure to watch.

True Stories

Everyone loves a good underdog story (except for maybe those who end up being remembered as the losers) and Olympic history is full of them. The Olympics are a massive world stage and every four years, the world becomes captivated by the games - and especially by their stories of triumph. Stars come out of the woodwork and there are always some unexpected winners.One of the most memorable instances of this was in 1980, when the U.S. Men's Hockey team shocked the world by beating the heavily favored Soviets. It has since been deemed the Miracle on Ice and the story was even made into an acclaimed movie, but that's only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Olympic underdog stories.From track and field to the swimming pool, every four years we get more inspiring Olympian stories. With the Winter and Summer Olympics taking place alternately every two years, you never have too long to wait for new tales of the Olympic underdogs. Luckily, past occasions have yet to lose their magic. Seeing someone who really just shouldn't have won win it all is still one of the most special things in sports, and that'll likely never change.

Who doesn&rsquo;t remember exactly where they were when they watched the opening ceremony of the last Olympics? Or the <a href="http://www.olympicchannel.com/en/olympic-games/" target="_blank">Olympic Games</a> before that? But what are the best opening ceremonies in <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/olympics-history-facts/kellen-perry" target="_blank">Olympic&nbsp;history</a>? This list&nbsp;of past Olympic opening ceremonies from both the Summer and Winter Games&nbsp;will help answer that question.&nbsp;

Since the Olympics are a gathering of the top athletes from countries all over the world in fierce competition for which country has the world&#39;s best athletes, it only makes sense that the opening ceremony would be top notch! The ceremony usually demonstrates a showcase of the absolute best the host country has to offer, showing us their impressive creativity, artistic talents, and musical influences. The best aspects of their culture are on display for the entire world to see.

This list has depictions of the best opening ceremonies from the Summer and Winter Olympics, including the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens,&nbsp;and the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo.

Vote up the most spectacular opening ceremonies and vote down those&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/olympics-cheating-scandals/loganrapp" target="_blank">that disappointed</a>.

Athletes

Every two years the world comes together to witness one of the greatest sports spectacles known to man: The Olympic&nbsp;Games. And while it’s not fun to think about, one of the inevitabilities of a high level competition like this&nbsp;is that someone is going to get hurt. Sports injuries are especially painful to watch because they rarely look like something that the athlete can walk away from. The sad fact of the matter is that most of the people who got hurt in the Olympics were either never able to compete again at the same level, or their bodies were completely wrecked, rendering them little more than a warning post to future Olympians. Hopefully you’re not squeamish, because the following Olympic injuries were all very painful.Trying to determine who suffered the worst Olympic injuries is kind of like arguing over which bullet wound is the worst. They all hurt, and more than likely they all changed the athlete's life. Some of the athletes that are covered on here managed to survive their bad Olympic injuries and return to compete four years later, but a few of these athletes&nbsp;completely lost their abilities, and a couple of them even died. Continue reading to find out about these terrible injuries in sports, and see just how much these athletes dedicate their bodies to the Olympic Games.

Scandals

The Olympic Games are consistently&nbsp;astounding and filled with high drama, not&nbsp;just because the athletes are&nbsp;paragons of human physical and mental capability, but because the competition has a bit of a dark side. Examining the worst crimes committed at the Olympics helps us peel back the thin veneer of gold surrounding the event and reveal the truth underneath.&nbsp;And it goes beyond how the Olympics typically <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/economics-of-the-olympics/kellen-perry" target="_blank">bankrupt&nbsp;host countries</a>, or how often <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/olympics-cheating-scandals/loganrapp" target="_blank">athletes are caught cheating</a>.&nbsp;Over the decades, myriad&nbsp;scandals have&nbsp;almost ruined the Olympics, from terrorist bombings to regular&nbsp;doping accusations.&nbsp;Out of the scores of Olympic crimes committed, there are a few that truly stand out as&nbsp;some of the worst things that have&nbsp;ever happened at the Olympics.

Whether it&#39;s the Winter Olympics or the Summer Games, Olympic Villages are full of&nbsp;fit people whose nerves and hormones are running on high. Not to mention the fact that they&#39;re all in a new place, with new people and plenty of reasons to party. What does all that add up to? Hookups. A lot of them.

Of course, the Olympic Village isn&#39;t just one giant party all the time. Sometimes the athletes have to take breaks and go play the sports they&#39;ve been training for their whole lives. There are some other interesting Olympic village stories that don&#39;t include getting intimate, of course - they&#39;re just not as prevalent.

Money

In a 2014&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/what-history-tells-us-about-hosting-the-olympics/2014/10/10/d63ac21c-4e45-11e4-8c24-487e92bc997b_story.html" target="_blank">editorial </a>in The Washington Post on the economics of the Olympics, Steve Blakely wrote,&nbsp;&quot;Olympics typically lose money at taxpayer expense and leave no long-term economic benefits.&quot; Blakely is not alone in this thinking. Writing on the&nbsp;effects of the Olympics on host cities, Binyamin Appelbaum came to the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/magazine/does-hosting-the-olympics-actually-pay-off.html?_r=0" target="_blank">conclusion</a> that &quot;there is strikingly little evidence that such events increase tourism or draw new investment. Spending lavishly on a short-lived event is, economically speaking, a dubious long-term strategy.&quot; There are exceptions: Los Angeles in '84 and Barcelona in '92 were both profitable Olympic games that boosted the local economy.But sometimes, Olympic host city economic issues can be downright disastrous. Billions of dollars in debt passed on to taxpayers, recessions, squatters in Olympic Villages, so-called &quot;white elephant&quot; stadiums left crumbling, and much, much worse. It happens more than you might think.&nbsp;Read on for some of the worst all-time examples of economic issues following Olympic games and learn about the&nbsp;effects of the Olympics on host cities.

The Olympic Games are the ultimate test of athleticism and skill. But when you look back at what events were in the Olympics that are now discontinued, you might think differently. The athletes that competed at the turn of the 20th century weren't&nbsp;much compared to Michael Phelps or Simone Biles. And some events are a far cry from the exciting swimming races or gymnastic events we watch today. Just like how <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/old-photos-of-strongmen/erin-mccann?utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=historypost&amp;pgid=642850749204637&amp;utm_campaign=old-photos-of-strongmen" target="_blank">old timey strongmen</a> used to compete in events that by today’s standards look quite silly, some of the retired Olympic events look pretty questionable when contrasted against more modern versions of the Games.Some of the most bizarre and unusual sports that ended up on the Olympic program&nbsp;look pretty wacky – like ski ballet or solo synchronized swimming. Although these weird events might have been fun to compete in, lack of spectators or lack of athleticism (as in motorboating) usually led to a sport’s Olympic demise. Take a look at these weird competitive events that used to be in the Olympics. Do you think you could compete?If you enjoyed this list of the dumbest sports in the Olympics, head on over and check out this list of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/boring-summer-olympics-events/erik-barnes" target="_blank">most boring Summer Olympics sports</a> as well!

The Olympic Games

pageType

safe_grapeshot

dietAds_a

edit_update_annually

exclude_RLblocks

ticker_exclude

site_wide_RL_exclude

longtail_search

non_votable_list_of_all

scale_cleanup

srch

cb_the-olympic-games

mens lifestyle

no_amp

These famous Olympians from Iowa have achieved some of the highest honors in sports history just by qualifying for the Olympics. Most athletes will never be chosen to represent their countries so - even if they didn't bring home the medal - these competitors made Iowa proud. Athletes include everyone from Shawn Johnson to Dan Gable.This list answers the questions, &quot;Which Olympians are from Iowa?&quot; and &quot;Which Olympians were born in Iowa?&quot;

List of Olympians from Iowa | Olympic Athletes Born Here

Olympic Athletes Born in Iowa

Olympic Athlete

Best Rankings of Sports Teams and Players, Interesting Sports Facts, and Moments in Sports

sports

Reference

Gender

Age 30 and over

Gen Xers

Age under 50

Region

American

West Coast US

Us States

Shawn Johnson

Shawn Machel Johnson East (born January 19, 1992) is an American former artistic gymnast. She is the 2008 Olympic balance beam gold medalist and team, all-around and floor exercise silver medalist. Johnson is also a five-time Pan American Games gold medalist, winning the team titles in 2007 and 2011, as well as titles in the all-around, uneven bars, and balance beam in 2007.
Johnson became a member of the U.S. senior team in 2007. She had one of the best rookie seasons ever recorded in the history of gymnastics, winning the all-around at the American Cup, Pan American Games, U.S. National Championships, and World Championships all in her first year as a senior gymnast. She is the 2007 individual all-around World Champion, 2007 World Champion on floor exercise, and a member of the 2007 gold medal winning U.S. gymnastics team. As well as being the 2007 U.S. Champion on balance beam and floor exercise, the 2008 U.S. Champion on floor exercise and silver medalist on balance beam, Johnson is a three-time U.S. all-around Champion, winning once as a junior and twice as a senior.
Johnson announced her retirement from gymnastics on June 3, 2012.
In May 2009, Johnson was the winner of season eight of Dancing with the Stars, and in November 2012 she earned second place on the all-star edition.

Amanda Weir

Amanda Jo Weir (born March 11, 1986) is an American competition swimmer, Olympic silver medalist, world champion, and former world record-holder. She was a member of the 2004 and 2012 United States Olympic teams, winning two silver medals at the 2004 Games and a bronze medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Al Feuerbach

Allan "Al" Dean Feuerbach (born January 14, 1948) is a former American track and field athlete. He competed in the shot put at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics and finished in fifth and fourth place, respectively. He missed the 1980 Games due to the boycott by the United States. He did however receive one of 461 Congressional Gold Medals created especially for the spurned athletes.On May 5, 1973, he broke Randy Matson's seven-year-old world record in the shot put by throwing 21.82 meters (71' 7") at the San Jose Invitational at San Jose State College.  Just weeks later, competing in a different sport, olympic-style weight lifting, he finished second in the heavyweight division at the U.S. weightlifting championships. Feuerbach currently works as a freelance audio technologist.
He was a four time American champion in the shot put, plus he added three indoor championships and a AAA Championships.
In 2016, he was elected into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.

Ben Askren

Ben Askren (born July 18, 1984), nicknamed "Funky", is an American professional mixed martial artist and former Olympic wrestler. He is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Askren is a former ONE Welterweight Champion and former Bellator Welterweight Champion. As of August 5, 2019, he is #11 in the official UFC welterweight rankings.

Dan Gable

Danny Mack "Dan" Gable (born October 25, 1948) is an American former folkstyle and freestyle wrestler and coach.  He is a two-time NCAA Division I national champion, a world gold medalist, and an Olympic gold medalist. Gable was only the third wrestler to have ever been inducted into the United World Wrestling's Hall of Fame in the Legend category.

Doug Schwab

Doug Schwab is a male freestyle wrestler and NCAA wrestling coach from USA. He participated in Men's freestyle 66 kg at 2008 Summer Olympics. He lost a match in the 1/16 of final against Andriy Stadnik. In the first consolation round he lost and was eliminated by Sushil Kumar.
He wrestled at the University of Iowa, where he was a three-time All-American and Big Ten Champion. He also won the 1999 NCAA Championship at 141 pounds. He finished his collegiate career with 130 wins, which ranked 10th in school history as of 2012. As a high school wrestler at Osage High School, he won the 1996 2A state championship at 130 pounds.
Following his collegiate career, Schwab served as an assistant coach under Tom Brands at Virginia Tech during the 2005-2006 season. He returned to Iowa as a volunteer assistant coach in 2006-2007. He was promoted to full-time assistant for the Hawkeyes from 2007-2010. On August 1, 2010, Schwab was named the 9th head wrestling coach for the University of Northern Iowa.
In May 2014, Schwab inked a seven-year extension to remain the head wrestling coach of the Panthers.

Frank Irons

Francis "Frank" Cleveland Irons (March 23, 1886 – June 19, 1942) was an American athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics and in the 1912 Summer Olympics.
He was born in Des Moines, Iowa and died in Palatine, Illinois.
Irons competed for the United States in the 1908 Games held in London, Great Britain in the long jump where he won the gold medal. In the standing high jump event he finished eighth and in the triple jump competition he finished 16th. He also participated in the standing long jump contest but his result is unknown.
Four years later he finished ninth in the long jump competition at the 1912 Games. At this Olympics he also competed in the exhibition baseball tournament.

Frank Wykoff

Frank Clifford Wykoff (October 29, 1909 – January 1, 1980) was an American athlete, triple gold medal winner in 4 × 100 m relay at the Olympic Games.

Herman Groman

Herman Charles Groman (August 18, 1882 – July 23, 1954) was an American athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metres for Yale University and the Chicago Athletic Club. He won a bronze medal in the 400 meters in the 1904 Olympics.
He was a graduate of Yale University and Rush Medical College and later lived in Hammond, Indiana.

Jennifer Barringer

Jennifer Simpson (née Barringer; born August 23, 1986) is an American middle distance runner and steeplechaser. She represented the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2012 London Olympics and 2016 Rio Olympics. She is a former American record holder for the 3000 meters steeplechase. In the 1500 meters, she won a gold medal at the 2011 World Championships, a silver medal at the 2013 and 2017 World Championships, and a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

Jon Koncak

Jon Francis Koncak (born May 17, 1963) is a former American professional basketball player.  A 7'0" center from Southern Methodist University, Koncak was selected with the fifth pick in the 1985 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks. Koncak spent ten seasons with the Hawks (1985–1995), mainly in a reserve role, then concluded his career with the Orlando Magic. He retired in 1996 with career totals of 3,520 points and 3,856 rebounds.
Though a reliable defender for much of his career, Koncak is perhaps best remembered for the six-year, US$ 13 million contract he received from the Hawks in 1989 – an unprecedented total for a reserve. Since he was a restricted free agent at the time, the Atlanta Hawks matched this offer from the Detroit Pistons. As a result, he earned the derisive nickname "Jon Contract". This event led NBA Hall of Fame center Shaquille O'Neal to choose a career in basketball over football due to the money he could make in basketball.On February 23, 2008 SMU retired Koncak's jersey. Koncak is an Eagle Scout.

Kenneth Sitzberger

Kenneth Robert "Ken" Sitzberger (February 13, 1945 – January 2, 1984) was an American diver. Competing in the 3 m springboard he won a bronze medal at the 1963 Pan American Games and a gold at the 1964 Olympics. In 1964, Sitzberger was trailing the teammate Frank Gorman after nine of the ten dives, but Gorman performed poorly on his last dive, while Sitzberger was nearly flawless.As a student at Indiana University, Sitzberger won the AAU national indoor 1-meter and 3-meter springboard championships in 1964 and 1965. He was the NCAA champion in the 1-meter from 1965 through 1967, and in the 3-meter springboard in 1966 and 1967.Sitzberger married Jeanne Collier, who won an Olympic silver medal in the springboard in 1964. He worked for more than 16 years as a sports commentator for the American Broadcasting Company until his death at the age of 38. He died of a brain hemorrhage under mysterious circumstances. His wife said that he had fallen and hit his head on a table during a New Year's Eve party, and his death was ruled an accident. Police said Sitzberger twice picked fights with another man at the party, and in the second scuffle he struck his head. Because Sitzberger had been subpoenaed as a federal witness in a cocaine-trafficking case, police investigated his death further, but discovered no evidence of foul play. Ten years after his death, Sitzberger was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

Mike Burton

Michael Jay Burton (born July 3, 1947) is an American swimmer, three-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in two freestyle distance events.When he was an eighth grader he was hit by a furniture truck while riding a bicycle with a friend. Earlier he loved to play football and basketball, but the injuries due to this accident made him abandon contact sports, and left swimming as one of the few fitness options.Burton graduated from El Camino High School. He won 10 AAU titles, and while at UCLA Burton was a NCCAA champion five times. These included the 500 Free (1970), 1650 Free (1967, 1968, 1970), and 200 Fly (1970), which is also became an All-American for these events. Burton was also a four-time Pac-10 champion, he helped lead the Bruins to the Pac-10 Championship Team Title in 1970. He enter the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame as a Character Member.   At the 1967 University Games in Tokyo, Japan, he won a gold medal in the 1,500-meter freestyle, ahead of Russian Semyon Belits-Geiman.Burton won two gold medals in individual events at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City: the 400-meter freestyle and 1,500-meter freestyle.  Four years later at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, he became the only American ever to repeat as the 1,500-meter freestyle gold medalist, and he also recaptured the world record in the process. While winning gold in the 1972, Burton also set a new World Record in the 1500 Free. Burton's repeat proved a stunning win: in the spring of 1972, Burton had been diagnosed with a vitamin deficiency, and at the U.S. Olympic Trials had barely made the Olympic Team. The Olympic Trials were held in Chicago, Burton failed to make the Olympic team in the 400 freestyle event and the 200 butterflies. On the next to the last day of the Trials, he snuck into the finals of the 1500 when he finished eighth. Burton manager to be able to finish in third to make the team (at the time, a country could enter up to three athletes per event in swimming).At the Munich Games, Burton loved to start out fast and was the early leader even over Australian star Graham Windeatt. Yet, Windeatt fought back and regained the lead. Burton overtook Windeatt on the closing lengths, broke Rick DeMont's world record and won the gold medal for himself and the United States.The celebration in Munich of his historic repeat, however, was overshadowed by Mark Spitz's performance at those Games and by the terrorist attack on the Olympic Village, which occurred the day after his race.
Burton coached the Seahawks in Billings, Montana, at the local YMCA until 2007.  His daughter Loni embarked on her own successful swimming career.  She is one of two swimmers in NCAA history to win twelve individual titles.  She performed the feat in three years as Division II swimmers are eligible to participate in four individual events versus three in Division I and III.He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an "Honor Swimmer" in 1977.



Morgan Taylor

Frederick Morgan Taylor (April 17, 1903 – February 16, 1975) was an American hurdler and the first athlete to win three Olympic medals in the 400 m hurdles. He was the flag bearer for the United States at his last Olympics in 1932.In 1924, Taylor won the 400 m Olympic trials with a world best time of 52.6 s, which was accepted as a national record, but not as a world record. While winning the gold medal at the 1924 Olympics he clocked the same time, but knocked one hurdle, and the record was again not ratified by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). In 1925, he won his second AAU title in the 440 yd hurdles in a world best time of 53.8 s, but this record was discounted too. Finally the IAAF accepted his 400 m record of 52.0 s set at the 1928 Olympic trials.
While studying at Grinnell College, Taylor competed in both track and field and football. He won the NCAA 220 yd hurdle title in 1927 and finished second in the long jump in 1925. After graduating he worked as a salesman for the Chicago Tribune and then as a teacher and athletics coach. His son F. Morgan Taylor Jr. also competed in track and field as a long jumper.

Nancy Metcalf

Nancy Jean Metcalf  (born Nancy Jean Meendering on November 12, 1978 in Sioux Center, Iowa) is an American indoor volleyball player. She represented her native country at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, where she finished in fifth place with the USA National Team. She missed the 2008 Olympics with a torn labrum, and was not named to the national team in 2012.

Nat Pendleton

Nathaniel Greene "Nat" Pendleton (August 9, 1895 – October 12, 1967) was an American Olympic wrestler and film actor. His younger brother was Edmund J. Pendleton (1899-1987), the organist and composer.

Natasha Kaiser-Brown

Natasha Kaiser-Brown (born May 14, 1967) is an American sprinter who specialized in the 400 meter run, and is the current University of Missouri- Columbia track and field coach.
Kaiser-Brown was born in Des Moines, Iowa. In high school, she was a nine-time state champion for Des Moines Roosevelt and is the previous record-holder for the 100 meter and sprint medley relay events (both broken in the 2018 track season).At the 1991 Pan American Games she finished fourth in the 400 meter run and won a gold medal in 4 x 400 meter relay. She won a silver medal in the relay at the 1992 Summer Olympics with her teammates Gwen Torrence, Jearl Miles and Rochelle Stevens. In 1993 she won a relay silver medal at the 1993 World Indoor Championships as well as two medals at the 1993 World Championships.  She won the 400 meter event at the 1994 Nationals and was a member of the 1996 USA Olympic team in Atlanta.Her personal best time is 50.17 seconds, achieved in 1993.
She is married to Brian Brown and coached alongside him at Drake University. The pair have a daughter, Elle Brown, who is a basketball player at the University of Missouri.

Sabin Carr

Sabin William Carr (September 4, 1904 in Dubuque, Iowa – September 12, 1983 in Santa Barbara, California) was an American athlete who competed in the men's pole vault.  He competed in Athletics at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam and won gold.
In 1927, Sabin Carr set new indoor and outdoor world records. In early February he took the indoor record up to 13-7⅛ (4.14), which he improved one week later to 13-9¼ (4.19). In May, at the IC4A outdoor, he became the first man to clear 14 feet (4.27), then in 1928, at the AAU indoor, he vaulted 14-1 (4.29) to become the first to clear 14 feet indoors. In 1928, Carr lost his world outdoor record to the 1924 Olympic champion, Lee Barnes, but at the Olympics, Carr got his revenge – he took the gold medal, with Barnes finishing fifth. Carr, a Yale graduate, had a fine record in major championships, winning the AAU indoor twice, the IC4A outdoor three times, and the IC4A indoor twice. Oddly he never placed better than third at the AAU outdoor meet. Carr eventually went into the lumber business in Oakland, California, and became president of the Sterling Lumber Co.

Lolo Jones

Lori Susan "Lolo" Jones (born August 5, 1982) is an American hurdler and bobsledder who specializes in the 60-meter and 100-meter hurdles. She won three NCAA titles and garnered 11 All-American honors while at Louisiana State University. She won indoor national titles in 2007, 2008, and 2009 in the 60-meter hurdles, with gold medals at the World Indoor Championship in 2008 and 2010.
She was favored to win the 100-meter hurdles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but tripped on the penultimate hurdle, finishing in seventh place. She went on to win gold at the 2008 World Athletics Final, beating the newly-crowned Olympic champion Dawn Harper with a time of 12.56. Jones is the American record holder in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 7.72.Jones also competes as a brakewoman on the U.S. national bobsled team. She won a gold medal in the mixed team event at the 2013 World Championships. She represented the U.S. at the 2014 Winter Olympics, making her one of the few athletes who has competed in both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.

KadiDeGeest

Kip Janvrin

Kip Janvrin (born July 8, 1965 in Guthrie Center, Iowa) is an American former decathlete. Janvrin is a native of Panora, Iowa and is now the Co-Head Track & Field Coach at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri.

opclassroom

Randy Wilson

These famous Olympians from Iowa have achieved some of the highest honors in sports history just by qualifying for the Olympics. Most athletes will never be ...